Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: On Monday, there is a slight chance of showers after 3pm, with cloudy conditions and a high temperature of around 67°F. The north wind is expected to be between 7 and 9 mph, and the chance of precipitation is 20%. For Monday night, expect a chance of showers mainly after 9pm, accompanied by areas of fog and cloudy skies. Temperatures will reach a low of about 59°F, with a northeast wind around 10 mph, and a precipitation chance of 40%.
It’s been another week bookended with violence in Alexandria’s West End.
On Saturday, a man was shot in the Landmark area during a suspected carjacking. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Before the pandemic, I ran a Reddit forum that brought people together for local happy hours. It became a great outlet for an in-person social life: you could get out, get to know people nearby, and have a familiar group to spend time with. I enjoyed being the person who helped make that happen.
Getting people together became harder after the pandemic. Friends moved away, had kids, or settled into different routines, and organizing a night out took more effort. I still wanted that camaraderie, but having people to invite didn’t necessarily mean we could get something on the calendar.
I’m in my late 30s and live in Old Town. About a year ago, I joined Choros, a local membership community that helps guys build friendships through small-group activities. Since then, I’ve been to close to 50 hangouts, and it’s given me a regular group of guys to do things with around Alexandria and beyond.
I host board game nights and help host a monthly happy hour at the Commodore in Old Town. I’ve done escape rooms on King Street, trivia, food festivals in Del Ray, movie discussions, and Dungeons & Dragons (which can be especially tricky to get going as an adult with a busy schedule). Having that variety means I can find something that fits my mood and schedule, and there are usually familiar faces when I get there.
One of my favorite things, though, is getting on my bike, picking a destination, and making a day of it. Through Choros, I’ve found a consistent crew to ride with almost every month. That’s the kind of thing I wanted more of: people who enjoy the same stuff and make time to get out and do it together.
I still like hosting and bringing people together. What makes Choros useful is having a community to draw from, so every plan doesn’t depend on the same few friends being available. Other guys suggest and host things too, which gives me plenty of opportunities to join something without organizing it myself.
Over time, seeing the same guys at different activities builds familiarity. You have conversations to pick back up and another reason to make plans together. That’s how it’s become a circle of friends for me.
If you’re in Alexandria, check out Choros and come to one of our monthly happy hours at the Commodore. I’d be happy to meet a few more neighbors, whether you’re into board games, bike rides, or just getting out for a drink. There’s plenty happening here, along with activities throughout the rest of the D.C. area.
Alexandrians should brace for a stormy weekend.
Rain is likely to kick off tonight after 11 p.m. and there’s a good chance it will continue through the weekend as a tropical storm approaches Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.
There were no injuries or arrests after gunfire was reported in the West End early Friday morning — a separate incident from the other West End shooting this morning where one victim was injured.
Multiple callers reported four shots were fired at around 12:30 a.m. in the 4300 block of King Street near Park Center Drive, according to the police scanner.
Event location
Duvall House
305 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Join George Washington at the beautiful, historic Duvall House—the site of his “coming home” celebration after the Revolutionary War! Libations and hearty hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds benefiting the 2027 George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria. Reserve your space at the event website, or email us at [email protected] if you prefer to pay at the door.
(Updated 6:50 p.m.) One male victim, age 21, was seriously injured in an armed robbery just before 9:30 this morning, and as of 10 a.m. the suspects are still at large.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a shooting incident that occurred in the 5500 block of Holmes Run Parkway. There is a heavy police presence in the area and no suspects have been arrested yet.
New parking meters are being installed in Alexandria to ditch the old pay-and-display system.
Earlier this year, the city started moving away from pay and display systems with new pay-by-plate meters installed in the Carlyle and Potomac Yard neighborhoods. But now, those meters are starting to get a citywide expansion to replace the older systems.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: The weather will be partly sunny with a high of 74°F and a 6-14 mph northeast wind, gusting up to 18 mph. On Friday night, expect rain, mainly after 3am, and cloudy conditions with a low of 60°F. The wind will blow northeast at 11-15 mph, with gusts up to 22 mph. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, with new amounts ranging from a tenth to a quarter of an inch.
Here in Alexandria, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive townhouses sold last month (August 2023).
Most expensive townhouses sold
Alexandria City Public Schools saw a 26% increase in student arrests last school year, and a disproportionate number of arrested students are Black males.
There were 58 ACPS students arrested last school year, according to a school safety report to be presented to the School Board on Thursday. There were also 32 weapons-related incidents, 100 students injured, 112 fights/assaults and five reports of sexual misconduct.
